Father Figure
by Dragon's-Maidens
Summary: A Father's Day fic for Siamon and Niri. One Shot


Father Figure

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or some of the characters mentioned in this fic.

A/N: I am SO SORRY that this will be somewhat…pressed against time. Work has been keeping me away from the things I hold dear but thankfully, with this so deep in my head, I let it grow, develop until it finally blossomed. This is written during Niri's stay in the Academy since I sort of rushed her relationship with Si. Sorry, sorry, I apologize a trillion times over that.

High in the sky of Shinoa Academy, the moon rose with every passing minute, the signs obvious if one were watching the light from the moon splashed against a wall, the blue color dying everything in its wake as it inched across the wall. For Niri, it was just another night at the Academy, one of the few that she would be there. However, this new day, since she heard the twelve chimes of one of the clocks in the Academy, was a day that made a heavy pain in the pit of her stomach. This day came every year, without fail, and this was another year where she'd have to watch from the sidelines.

Father's day… On Aran, her home, she'd go to North Point, to her father's grave and talk with him. But now she was away from him, away from her home. Burning a letter would seem appropriate but it would also seem like she didn't really give much thought into it. Sitting up in her cot, the rough cloth falling from her shoulders and chest to land around her waist, bunched up like her sleep shirt. A knee drew up and one of her elbows rested on the knee, her hand nearly touching the blanket. Sighing, Niri looked out the window, the moon just barely in view.

"Ne, ne, Daddy, are you upset I'm not home?" she whispered into the darkness. Tossing away the covers, Niri swung her feet off of the bed to the stone floor below, her bare feet padding in the darkness as she began to make her way up the stairs of the towers, the coldness making her shudder and shiver. She failed to hear the heavy sounds of boots behind her until a hand was on her shoulder, making her gasp, spinning to face whoever touched her.

"Guppy."

A hand to her heart, Niri sighed in relief. "Sir, you scared me to death!" she exclaimed to her commanding officer, Siamon.

"Were I an enemy, you would be dead. Pay attention to your surroundings at all time, Guppy." The mer also spoke with authority, his rich voice firm as his eyes narrowed, staring at the cadet. "Why are you out of bed?"

Niri bit her lower lip and looked away. "Sir, today is Father's Day…"

"I'm aware of that."

"Well, sir, I usually talk to my father on this day and since I'm not home to properly do so…"

The tall mer sighed, his eyes looking away for a second. "When a father is no longer in his child's life, it's tough on the offspring. Your father, as you know, was a great man. However, I don't think he'd agree with you sneaking out of your bunk in the middle of the night to speak with him." He saw that the girl looked away, sadness creeping in her blue eyes. He sighed again and lifted a hand up the stairs, a movement for her to continue on her path.

The two didn't speak as they climbed; the only noises were from their steps up the stairs. The massive wooden door creaked open into the still night air, the noise causing the cadet to jump, her nerves already shot from the earlier scare. Si put a hand to her shoulder, his arm touching her shoulder blades as if in some comforting manner.

The two nodded to each other and walked onto the tower's ledge, Niri quickly sitting as she stared into the sky; Si had stayed near the door, leaving the cadet in private. These matters were family matters, not for him to be in without permission.

Nothing stirred in the air as Si leaned against the wall of the tower, listening for anyone moving up the stairs, the only noises were the hushed whispers from Niri. Occasionally, a sniffle or two would cause her body to jerk suddenly but she'd continue speaking into the night, up to the stars in the heavens above. A few times, Si felt like he should sit next to her, should she need someone there, or even set a hand on her head to let her know that he was still nearby if she needed anything. Those impulses died as quickly as they rose though.

He wasn't her father, wasn't even the same race, she human, he a mer. Still, the strangest urge to comfort her still tugged at his heart as the smell of salty tears flooded his senses. The whispers had stopped but the crying continued. Did she always cry like this? Siamon worried for this human girl. He had never seen her weak like this, like she should be hiding behind her father or the man of her life. She was a strong human, as far as their mental strength went, she never cried. How was it that she could stand being in a graveyard, sobbing on her father's grave?

Niri's head went low as her hands rose to her face, perhaps covering her face or wiping her eyes, he wasn't sure, being only able to see her back as it shuddered with every quaking sob. His eyes softened as Si drew near the girl, sitting next to her, a webbed hand to her back, rubbing it in a comforting manner. Without warning, Niri flung her arms around his chest as her face buried itself in his shirt, the quiet was soon loud. Si closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, his cheek on top of her head as webbed hands rubbed in slow circles.

At first, Si hadn't noticed that her arms were going slack and that her hiccupping was ebbing. It was until he felt her head moving slightly that he looked down. The poor girl had cried herself to sleep, her eyes puffy as dried salt lined her red face. Gathering the cadet in his arms, he looked up into heavens and nodded to the stars, as if Giles Zolaro was there himself, looking down on his child. "I'll take care of her, as if she were my own."

Not a moment passed that he felt something tugging on his shirt. Looking down, to see where the material was bunched, was her hand, clinging tightly to him as her face nuzzled his arm in her sleep, some of the dried tears wiping away. A mer adopting a human as his own child, it wasn't unheard of but he never expected that he'd do it himself. He couldn't be a father figure to her…could he?

Pondering this, he walked down the stairs of the tower to where the bunks where, her bunk more importantly. The Baron was a good father figure, he guessed, the two of them had known each other for so long. But him? Sure, he'd made a promise to the late Zolaro but could he really do what he said he'd do? Reaching the bunks, he quickly crossed into the room, reaching the cadet's bed and setting her down in it gently. Though her grip was loose, Si still pried her fingers away from his shirt as gently as he could before setting her arm across her stomach and pulled the covers over her body.

She made a noise and he stilled, his heart pounding that she'd wake and find him tucking her in. That's not what a commanding officer does! Niri rolled to face him, her eyes opened slightly. "Go back to sleep, Niri," he said quietly.

"M'kay…" She held her pillow close and closed her eyes. "Night, dad."

His heart erupted as a small smile broke over his face. Maybe she had mistaken him for her father but hearing her say that filled him with an unexplainable emotion. Maybe he could be a father figure after all and perhaps, one day in the future, a real father.

A/N: Okies, so I lied about the rushing part, still, I've gotta say, this is, by far, my favorite fic that I've ever written. Alright, review and whatnot and expect more fics/updates in the future. Kay, bye!


End file.
